Tag Archives: Bruce Lawson

Can mobile web provide an alternative to the dominant platform in the mobile market?

“Native apps are specific to a given mobile platform (iOS or Android) using the development tools and language that the respective platform supports (e.g., Xcode and Objective-C with iOS, Eclipse and Java with Android).” (Korf and Oksman, 2015)

Since the rise of the smartphone, native apps have been a core component and have taken the world by storm. As Korf and Oksman state, ‘Native apps look and perform the best’ . Consumers clearly agree; in 2015 alone there were 75 billion apps downloaded across Android and iOS . These numbers have been generated across Google Play which currently has 2,140,655 apps and iTunes AppStore with a further 1,400,000+ apps . These numbers are only set to increase considering the growth in cheap smartphones entering the market will enable market access to an entire generation who are on the bottom end of the social mobility ladder. The market is growing and the technological framework is increasing to meet its demands. But can mobile web provide an alternative to this dominate format?

Progressive Web Applications (PWAs)

Unlike HTML5 and Hybrid applications which use web elements inside app frameworks, progressive web applications are websites which through code can become applications. The website is built with commands that the browser can recognise which will enable it to perform functions which users have come to know and love about apps. These rules are outlined in the extensible web manifesto built in partnership between Mozilla, Opera, and Google Chrome among others. Continue reading The death of the natives? A progressive shift for apps, web & marketers→